Therapy Cats

Posted by Darlene Cheek Jul 13, 2007

It is a well-known fact that cats having natural healing abilities. Just petting a cat has been shown to lower blood pressure. I have Fibromyalgia, and though my cats are a lot of work, they also help alleviate many of my symptoms, like stress and depression. My cats certainly make me laugh!

I was thinking about that and wondering which of my girls would make a good therapy cat, probably my Poppy. She is a great natured little girl, isn’t afraid of strangers, and just goes limp and purrs like crazy whenever you hold her.

So I researched therapy cats a little and found out that there is quite a bit involved in being a Therapy Cat. You can’t just wander into a nursing home with your kitty! They actually prefer to use retired show cats as therapy cats because they are used to being handled and their temperament is well established.

If you’re interested in getting involved with therapy cats, you might consider the American Shorthair or Abyssinian breeds, as they are two of the preferred temperaments for therapy cats. That also shows what great pets these breeds must be!

We’ll give my Poppy a look when she’s a year old and see if her sweet temperament has stayed the same. I think she can do it!